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<p class="MsoNormal">On March 25th, the Michigan House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a resolution to officially proclaim April 2021 as "Financial Wellness Month" in the State of Michigan.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">If you practice “Money Smart Week,” please be aware that due to trademark issues this is now
<i>not</i> a usable term. <b>Financial Wellness Month</b> will now be a <i>separate</i> initiative, including a book program from the MI Financial Wellness team. The book program from the initiative will be known now as the
<b><i>Smart Money MI Kids Read</i></b>. From the MI Financial Wellness team:<o:p></o:p></p>
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The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (FRBC) owns the trademark "Money Smart Week" (MSW). Last fall, FRBC began asking former MSW supporters of that campaign to NOT do any local financial literacy programming in 2020 AND 2021 in association with FRBC OR MSW,
other than the promotion of their official webinars. <br>
In light of the FRBC's directive regarding MSW, Michigan partners gathered via zoom back in October and November to discuss what they believed to be in the best interest of Michigan residents, Michigan partners, and of the financial literacy work we've built
together over the past 10 years. It was very clear that Michigan partners did not want to stop offering locally developed and delivered programming to the residents of our state. And that the need for this programming went well beyond the 8-day period of the
FRBC's "Money Smart Week." Hence, <b>the formalization of the Michigan Financial Wellness Network (MFWN), and a year-round Michigan Financial Wellness initiative,</b> with heightened programming and promotion during April (national financial literacy month),
as Michigan's Financial Wellness Month campaign. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Please contact</b> Kelly Masters with any questions: <a href="mailto:MiFinancialWellness@gmail.com">
MiFinancialWellness@gmail.com</a> (note her updated email) or visit <a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mifinancialwellness.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7CLancasterC5%40michigan.gov%7Ce77cc083d322465127f608d8ea0fbde4%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C1%7C637516700639573420%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=PXZ2NlpzuokeNGbQ6VC6FUuuR9wZrxF12kyC%2FjE8Eu8%3D&reserved=0">
www.MiFinancialWellness.org</a> for details on the new direction for the newly named collaborative.
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2E74B5">Cathy Lancaster</span></b><span style="color:#2E74B5"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="color:black">Youth Services Coordinator</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="color:black">Library of Michigan<br>
702 W. Kalamazoo St.<br>
Lansing, MI 48915</span><br>
<i><span style="color:black;background:white">My Pronouns: She/Her - See <a href="http://www.mypronouns.org/">
<span style="color:black">www.mypronouns.org</span></a> to learn more<b>.</b></span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:LancasterC5@michigan.gov"><span style="color:#0563C1">LancasterC5@michigan.gov</span></a><span style="color:#1F497D">
</span><b><span style="color:black">|</span></b><span style="color:black"> 517-335-8129
<b>|</b> </span><a href="http://www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan"><span style="color:blue">www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan</span></a><span style="color:#1F497D">
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